William of Nassau

William of Nassau (18 August 1601-18 August 1627) was a Dutch soldier during the Eighty Years' War and the illegitimate son of Maurice of Orange and Margaretha van Mechelen.

Biography
William of Nassau was born on 18 August 1601, the son of Prince Maurice of Orange and his mistress, Margaretha van Mechelen; he was the older brother of Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd. William Nassau-LaLecq was a Rijksgraaf of the Holy Roman Empire, and he was granted the title of Lord of De Lek after his father's 1625 death. During the Dutch Revolt, William oversaw the capture of Bergen-op-Zoom from Austria in 1618, and he replaced Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange as Lieutenant-Admiral of Holland and West Friesland. In 1625, he led the Dutch fleet that raided Cadiz in Spain, and he took part in the Siege of Groenlo two years later. William was mortally wounded by a Spanish bullet while he was commanding French troops in a skirmish before the siege's end, and he died on 18 August 1627, his 26th birthday.